Killing Loneliness
by NessaSimone
Summary: Alexis and Jaxson Corbin never grew up easily, with so much turmoil in their family this move was supposed to be the one thing that changed everything. However this house was always has other plans for it's residents. (Story is AU, will include all seasons hence it being AU, also the Harmon's being in the house never happened here. Sorry.)
1. Chapter 1

'_In general the more dysfunctional the family the more inappropriate their response to disclosure. – Never expect a sane response from an insane system.' – Renee Fredrickson._

* * *

No family is perfect, no single person is greater or less than they are meant to be. Everyone is destined to be the best that they can be regardless of where they come from or the things they do. Everyone simply just does the best they can. Or so we're taught to think…

For example, my Father, Ryan paid his way to the top of his Lawyer's firm. Sleeps with his secretary almost every other day, regardless of the fact that she is engaged. Best he can be though right?

My sister, Madison or Maddy for short was a ear older than my brother and I. She was kind of a snot, she was sort of a princess and I think knowing we were moving to L.A. really only amplified her insanity for thinking she is the queen of the world. I don't hate her but I wouldn't exactly be too fond of being stuck alone with her for long periods of time.

My brother? Jaxson, he's my twin. Well we're fraternal twins even though we are pretty close, hung out with all the same people, did the same things, always together. We where pretty much best friends. He and I both had to be taken out of school about a year ago due to the fact that neither of us liked being there. Always skipping classes, or just not showing up to school in general. High school was a shitty place for both of us.

Which in part explains why we're moving to L.A. from Washington. Our step-mother Lillian was a Nurse or well Jax and I think she tells herself she's a nurse. She's not any better than our father; he cheats away from the house probably because our mom is just such pleasant company to be around.

Lillian however has no boundaries for her infidelity and she never seemed to care if we found out of our father found out. She was a cruel vindictive woman; we were moving to basically feed her joys and needs. Wren had to make his practice a private one likely going to be working out of the house, meaning mom would have to sneak around else where to avoid a divorce she'd get nothing from.

She had already been transferred to the general hospital near by the house we where going to be moving into which I had to admit knowing they took it off the bank, based on a virtual tour was some what un nerving to me. You would think you'd want to know everything there is to know about the place first. Not my family… nope.

"Yo, Lex we're here and you have to see this place. No word of a lie, it's like straight out of a movie." I heard Jax whisper to me, suppose I should.

"Alexis, Jaxson, Madison, we're here wait in the main hall for your father and I please. We have to make the last few arrangements with the movers and the realtor." Lillian told us as I nodded before hopping out of the car.

"This place is kind of retro looking, we couldn't have gone for something more classy?" I heard Maddy question from behind me as I turned to look at her.

She would be matching; her long brown hair up in some messed up braided bow thing, not without her light blue flower hair band of course. She wore a knee length dress, mint colored bottom with a white lacey top, mint heels and an assortment of blue and mint colored accessories.

She would look like she walked out of a designer clothing store; she was going to fit right in here. "Lex, look at this place." Jax enthused as I turned back around to look at the three-story house standing before me.

The house was kind of spooky looking; it was a red-bricked house with white bricks surrounding the windows. Many of which seemed to be stained glass windows. The whole exterior of the house seemed so enchanting, large trees, perfectly trimmed bushes and grass. Both incredibly green in color mind you. All plants and flowers where extremely well maintained. Obviously this cook wanted to get this place sold quickly.

Once inside the house I noticed the entire place was like stepping backwards in time. The wood was all kinds of different types, things where hand carved, the lamps hanging from the ceiling almost matched the windows on the exterior of the house. Like I said, enchanting almost yet even walking into the house I couldn't shake this incredibly horrible feeling being here.

"All right, our things should be here within the next three hours. Why not go look around the town near by go make some friends? I have to head to the hospital and fill out the last of the paper work." Lillian said to us, well not really to us more like at us. She knew better than to think any one of us gave a shit what she was saying.

"Yea, I was going to go shopping." Maddy said before turning around and basically storming out of the house heading towards her car, with Lillian almost at her heels.

"Well I have no intentions of making friends here, who knows how long this place is going to keep her appetite filled." Jax commented.

"No kidding, witch probably already made plans to leave this place." I smirked.

"All right you two, enough. She's trying at least… why not go explore the house, we already figured out the bedroom situation. Alexis you're rooms the Turquoise room, Jaxson you get the olive colored room."

"Yay." He said flatly causing me to laugh. "You can paint it, smart ass." My dad said rolling his eyes, "I was going to order some KFC later if you two are interested."

See, as much as I hated the Step-Monster, I loved my dad regardless of the crappy things he did at least he tried. He knew our family had problems and he always tried so hard to make things work makes them better. Jax and I left school and he made sure we got home schooled, he kept telling us things like how 'High School is just a blimp on our life's radar.' And soon enough it'd be over and we'd be out doing bigger and better things.

"Go on, what're you all sitting around here waiting for?" He asked us before I felt Jax nudged me before the two of us walked away. I could hear a knocking noise coming from the basement which caused me to look over at Jax for a confirmation that I wasn't hearing things.

"You're not crazy." He reassured me as he pushed his long brown hair out of his face only for it to fall back into place.

"Think it's a squirrel or a possum?" I asked him.

He chuckled, "There's no way in hell that was either of those things, however we should go check it out." He said excitedly opening the door walking down the stairs me directly behind him.

"Something tells me this house is filled with like crawl spaces and like hidden doors. There's no way it's just a simple 1920's home." He started to tell me.

"How do you know it's from the 1920's?" I stopped him on the stairs grabbing his shoulder.

He started to chuckle, "Well one, the weird realtor said so and secondly; look at this place." He sighed before turning around to continue down the steps.

There was a light turned on in the room around the corner, "That's not at all creepy." I said to him as he moved towards the room, when he stopped looking into the room. He waved me over as I walked towards where he was standing to see there was a girl sitting on the floor in the room.

"Um—Hey there, what's your name?" I asked the girl as she spun around, he brown hair wiping around her shoulder. The girl looked like she had Down syndrome, however it didn't take away from the fact that she was a pretty girl.

"Adelaide, but my friends call me Addy." She told us quickly. "Well, Hi… I'm Jaxson and this is my twin Alexis." My brother told her.

"You don't look the same." She told us.

"We're fraternal twins, so are you from around here?" I asked her.

"Of course I am, I live next door. I just came to see my friends, are you friendly?" She asked us.

Jax looked over at me pushing some of his hair behind his ear, he needed a haircut but something told me he liked this grunge—stoner look he had going on. "I think we're pretty friendly. What do you say Alexis?"

"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to come up stairs with us. Our dad's getting some food soon if you're hungry." I shrugged, sure it was weird that she was here, but she must have known the people who lived here before or she had an avid imagination. Either way she wasn't hurting anyone by being here.

"Really?" She asked as I nodded, "Yea sure why not?" Jax questioned.

"Come on, pretty girl like you shouldn't be sitting on the floor. It's a dirty place." Jax said to her putting his hand out for her as she began to giggle taking his hand so he could help her up. "Let's get upstairs." I smiled.

* * *

"Here it is." Dad said as he brought in the KFC, "Adelaide, does your mom know you're here? Should you call her to let her know you're going to be eating with us?" He asked her.

When we told our dad where we had found her, and some of the things she said in the basement he didn't seem to worry or concerned. He was actually very kind to her, which was refreshing. I could only imagine how the Step-Monster was going to react when Dad tells her that he had told Adelaide that she could come anytime she wants, as long as she tells someone she's here.

"She knows…" She told him.

"Alright, so help yourself sweetheart." He told her as he placed a cup and plate in front of her as she had taken a seat next to Jax.

She couldn't keep her eyes off him, which was really sweet. "Thank you for letting me stay, the last people always made me leave they weren't nice at all." She commented.

"Well you can come by anytime you want, just knock on the door and let us know that you're here, wouldn't want to scare anyone."

"No, I will knock first." She smiled, "Can I sleep over sometimes?" She asked.

"I'll make the attic my room dad, just make the room next to Lex's room a guest room for when Addy want's to stay over." Jax suggested. "Yea, dad that's not a half bad idea. It'd be better than her taking the floor or a couch." I told him.

"All right, just wait till we're finished moving in ok?" He questioned Adelaide.

"Ok – ok." She sighed as we heard the door open, with loud giggling sounding like Hyena's cackles.

"Whose that?" Adelaide asked us. "That would be the Evil Step- Monster and her minion." I commented as Jax started to laugh nearly choking on his food.

Adelaide started to laugh, "That's funny."

"What's this." I heard Lillian's voice question as she entered the room, looking up to see her and Maddy standing in the doorway.

"It's KFC, you know chicken?" Jax joked, fully aware the 'this' she was referring to was Addy not the food.

"I meant—" My father cut her off, "This is my house. I invited her to join us for dinner, there won't be a discussion about it." He said motioning for them to sit down with us. Which they did with a lot of anger and hesitation.

"So Addy how long have you been living next door?" My father asked her. "Forever." She commented, "My friends live here." She said again looking over at Jax and I.

"I'm glad Jax and Lex made friends with you, their good kids." My dad told her. "How do you have blonde hair when everyone else has brown?" She asked me.

"I bleached my hair, which I do a lot… I enjoy looking different." I told her.

"I like it, it's pretty." She smiled at me. "So is yours." I smiled back to her.

"Oh please." Maddy rolled her eyes, "Give it a rest, what is she going to join you two in your home schooling fun? Mom had talked to a maid earlier who will be teaching you as well as cleaning. So fun, she looks like a creature from the bog too."

"Lillian is not our mom!" I shouted over the table at Maddy. "She is now! Where do you see our mom Alex? Where? She left she didn't want us or dad!"

"Both of you shut up!" I heard Jax yell, "Maddy apologize to Addy, you don't get to call her that, you don't."

"No." She snapped.

"All of you go to your rooms; feel free to unpack your things. Addy could you please come back tomorrow? These guys need to reflect on their choices. It was a pleasure meeting you, and please bring your mother over next time."

Addy nodded as Jax leaned over giving her a hug causing her face to grow a bright pink color. "See you tomorrow Addy." He said to her as she gave me a hug too before leaving out the back door.

"Rooms now." Our dad said before we all began to climb up the steps.

"You have a real problem Maddy, god knows you're going to fit right in with all the superficial shits at the high school." Jax said to her, his voice seething with hate.

"Oh don't try to act all humble, we both know the kind of girls you go for." She snapped opening a door with all her things inside waiting to be set up.

"Being nice to Addy has nothing to do with who I go for Madison and you know it." He told her making his way towards the attic after Maddy shut her door. "Movers… seriously, just left my stuff in the hallway couldn't just go up ten steps and put my stuff upstairs." I heard Jax say as I walked towards him, "I'll help you carry it all upstairs." I told him picking up a few smaller boxes.

"What the f*ck is that?" I heard Jax say once I had reached the top of the steps placing some boxes down. Hanging up on the wall before us I looked at this rubber onsie. Complete with hands, feet and mask, some sort of twisted sex suit.

"Your new PJ's." I laughed pushing his arm, "Funny." He rolled his eyes.

"What do I do with it?" He asked me. Letting out a sigh I shrugged, "Put it in a box in the basement?" I suggested looking over at him, "Yea sure, here lets get the rest of this stuff up here." He suggested as I nodded helping him take the rest of the stuff up stairs.

* * *

After making my bed, and putting all my posters and pictures all over my walls. I sat on my bed looking over at all the boxes sprawled around on the floor before laying back down on the bed staring at the ceiling. I wish for once things could go back to the way they where. Before Lillian and her greedy hands came along, before she changed Maddy, before Dad became lost in his work. Before we came here, this house made me feel physically uncomfortable. I wasn't looking forward to starting school tomorrow. Home school.

"Yo, you up?" I heard Jax asked as he walked into my room.

"Yea what's up?" I said saying down on my bed.

"This place still doesn't feel like home, can't sleep and the basement creeped me out to much… so that leather sex suit is still in my room." He told me, sitting down on my bed looking over at me.

"Yea I get the 'not like home' feeling. Place makes me feel so uneasy… can't explain in, and you can leave the thing in here… in a box of course I'll bring it down in the morning." I chuckled.

"I'm not a baby, I can handle it in my room." He rolled his eyes, sticking out my tongue I moved so he could lay on the bed next to me.

"Lex, do you ever think things will get back to normal?" He asked as he lay down next to me, putting his hands behind his head.

"What is this normal you speak of?" I questioned as he chuckled.

"I meant us all getting along again, not including Lillian of course." He asked.

"Maybe, Maddy drifted from you and me so much since she started dating, and becoming popular. She'll come back, I know she will." I told him as he nodded.

"I just miss when we were growing up, we where the three amigos, three musketeers. Always together never apart, now its just the twins." He sighed. "I miss the old Maddy, I miss mom."

"Me too, I wish mom and dad could fix their problems too… I cannot stand Lillian, I mean at least we know being out here she will rarely be home, maybe she'll get lost in someone else's pants become their problem." I told him causing him to laugh, "You should dye your hair again, like bleach it again and put something in it." He suggested sitting up and getting ready to leave my room.

"Like what?" I asked him.

"Pink, was pretty cool when you had light pink last time, and we both know it'll piss off Lillian." He grinned, "I'll go to the store tomorrow, maybe take Addy with me." I smiled.

"She's a pretty interesting girl, she's really friendly." He leaned against the door frame.

"She is, I still can't believe Maddy at the table with her sitting there." I sighed.

"Hey, don't fret I'm sure Addy is used to it she'll be ok. I'm going to get some sleep, see you in the AM for food?" He asked as I nodded.

He walked out of my room shutting the door behind him; this was going to be one hell of a trip living here. At least I had my twin here with me I don't think I'd survive without him it'd destroy me. Shutting my eyes as I lay there waiting to fall asleep opening my eyes after only a few moments to notice the light in my room was now off. When it was on only seconds before, I was reading into it… Laying there I let myself fall asleep preparing for a long day ahead of me tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

_'A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.' ~ Leo Buscaglia  
_

* * *

The pink in my hair had turned out a lot lighter than I had imagined it would've but it still looked pretty fantastic against my baby blues so I wasn't about to complain. Pulling on a pair of my skinny jeans and a crop top over my bra with the ever so perfect words 'Normal is boring' written in bold over the shirt. I quickly adorned myself with old bracelets I had made as a kid, some with beads some made of string before pulling on a patterned kimono cardigan and heading out of my room.

"Not going to wear your glasses?" Jax chuckled waiting outside my door, only for me to turn around and grab my thick-rimmed reading glasses. I was interested in seeing how our maid was supposed to be teaching us as well or if that was a joke.

"It's not the maid, which sucks but it's some strange guy." He said vaguely.

"Strange guy?" I asked noticing the cars where all gone leaving our dad in his 'in home' office the maid and us. Not that I minded but it did kind of make me feel like a loser being home schooled.

"I think he's gay he kept saying the décor we have in the house is, 'subpar' to what it used to be." Jax laughed. I just shook my head "Lets just get going… get this nightmare over with so we can go do something that doesn't include learning." I sighed as Jax nodded following me down the stairs.

Walking into the kitchen I noticed a few things, one being the creepiest maid ever. Her hair was this deep red in color, her one eye almost didn't even look real it was so foggy, clouded even. She wore a typical below the knee black dress, with white trim around her neck and wrists. Fairly sensible yet, also incredibly dated.

Second thing; being the very well dressed man, which was leaning against the counter talking to the maid. Adorned in a paid dress shirt and slacks, with his hair slicked back almost in one of the quiffs. He hand a paid of reading glasses on the top of his head as well, which made me feel less awkward about needing them myself.

Last thing being a boy around our age sitting at the counter his eyes glued to me. Or at least they looked like they where. His hair was short and shaggy much like my brother's except Jax's hair was a lot longer than his was. They both dressed similar, which is probably why – word vomit—"Raid each others closets?" I questioned causing the boy at the table to chuckle, and the other two to turn and look at us.

"Ah Jaxson and Alexis, we where wondering when you'd be joining us." The man said his voice more cheery than a voice needed to be at 8 in the morning.

"Just Lex is fine." I mumbled knowing this guy would never call me by anything but my full first name.

I watched as the maid walked away her eyes fixated on my brother who looked completely uncomfortable by it. "Well, I'm Chad. I'll be your homeschool teacher, your father hired me." He explained to us both as we just sat down at the counter staring at him.

"We're actually going into the dining room, so much more space and the table in there is just divine." He commented as I looked over to Jax who just arched his brow at me. I had nothing wrong with people of different sexual orientation, but one of the many reasons Jax stopped going to classes was probably because the jocks would call him gay. They never saw him with a girl that wasn't myself or Maddy so they of course just assumed he liked boys.

"Alexis, Jaxson; this is Tate. He'll be joining us as he lives next door and his mother had worked it out with your dad… easier this way for all parties." Chad continued on his rambling.

Home school. This was an utter joke, a waste of time. I knew I wanted to go to school, but a part of me always knew it was just not in the cards for me. What would I even go for? Everything I was good at doing I didn't need any school credits to do anyway… we were only even doing this home school crap to please Lillian. 'Everyone needs to at least have their high school.' Or whatever non-sense that devil woman would come up with. Always just seemed like her running her mouth to sound intelligent when we all knew anything smart out of her mouth was just something she read online.

I felt Jax nudge me motioning for me to look over at the weird boards the guy had put in place. "Sorry, miles away… what did you say?" I asked him as I put on my glasses.

"I was asking if you knew what the answer to this problem was, clearly not… Jaxson?" He passed me over. "Me not paying attention does not mean I don't know the answer. It's 45, and as for your second question it's a=3… but thanks for assuming I'm stupid, because I day dream." And there was one of my reasons for leaving.

I had trouble paying attention in class and teachers would always say that it was because I was stupid, didn't know anything. When in reality I was actually really smart, smarter than most of the kids in the classes. I just would doze off and go else where, inside my head, in those daydreams it was just so much happier than the reality I was sucked into. I didn't need some person who only knew the answers because their teachers guide book in their damn hands told them what it was telling me I was stupid.

When I had finally removed my hands from my face I realized I was no longer sitting at the table in the kitchen but I was in fact sitting on some chair in the basement. How this chair or me got down here was beyond me, maybe Addy brought it with her when we found her here the other day. "Teacher's suck. Well known fact." I heard a voice say to me from in front of me. The voice not belonging to Jax, which meant it, was that other kids.

"Yea it probably doesn't help that we were all sitting there ruining his divine décor." I rolled my eyes causing him to laugh as he walked closer to me kneeling next to the chair.

"I'm Tate." He introduced himself to me regardless of the fact he knew that I had already been told his name. "Lex." I told him offering him my hand.

Shaking it he smiled at me, "Why Lex?" He asked.

"I'm sick of being told that I don't know anything—" He cut me off quickly, "I meant why do you go by Lex?" He asked me as I sighed, this was a stupid story.

"Well, Alexis never sounded like it fit me… always felt weird hearing people say it… that and Jax being my twin, growing up I wanted a short nick name like that too. Lex just, sort of stuck." I told him as I sighed again.

"Lexis, Lexi, Alex…" He trailed off smiling, which I had to admit as weird as this guy kind of came off… he had a killer smile.

"Yea—yea." I waved him off standing up, "He said you lived next door, do you know Addy?" I asked him curiously as he had managed to get me to walk back towards the stairs.

"I do, she's my sister." He informed me as I smiled, "She's really sweet." I told him.

"And you aren't just saying that, which is refreshing. Most people just say it so they don't offend me or something, very rare someone means it."

I shook my head, "Sure when we found her in our basement, the first day we moved in… it was odd, but when I brought her with me this morning to get hair dye, and even after we found her… she's just really nice." I told him, "No other way to really say it."

He chuckled "Yea Addy, can come off a bit weird at times but she always means well." He explained to me.

"Back to class?" He suggested, "I guess so…" I rolled my eyes; "It is better than being in an actual high school, not a fan."

He smirked, "Screw high school. That's… it's just a blip in your timeline." Sounded a lot like something I've heard others say before.

"True enough." I told him as we rejoined Chad and my brother at the table, somehow now I could actually pay attention to what was being said, I no longer felt like I had to escape into some trance or dreamland.

* * *

"So you guys are twins? That's actually pretty cool, mainly considering how similar you both seem." Tate told us, he was sitting on the floor in my room with his back against my bed. My brother who was also on the floor his back against the wall, legs spread out facing me who was laying on my stomach on the bed basically beside Tate.

'School' was over for the day so we all decided to hang out regardless how our dad or Lillian were going to feel about it. In all honesty we where making a friend I think that would have shut them both up.  
"Fraternal but yea, we can be quite a like." Jax told him.

"Do you have any other siblings or is it just you and Addy?" I asked him casually.

"Yea, I had another he died a while back however… Beau." He told us both looking down at his hands.

"Hey, man we're so sorry…" Jax told him for the both of us as I nodded. "Yea that honestly, can't have been easy." I added.

"It's not but you learn to deal with it. Anyway that's sad stuff, what kind of music do you guys listen to?" He asked looking up at me nearly getting to close for comfort.

"Well a bit of everything, I have CD's on that shelf, MP3's on the laptop and records in that case over there." I pointed them all out to him.

"Lex is a bit of a music junkie." Jax told him as Tate got up excitedly walking towards the records first. "You have In Utero on vinyl?" He questioned pulling out the record.

"Of course I do, I should have Nevermind and Bleach in there too. My dad used to be a huge Nirvana fan, when he met Lillian he was told to remove it all… I liked them too so he gave them to me. Take it you're a fan?" I asked.

"Yea, I'm a pretty big fan of Kurt Cobain." He told us as he set the record on the player, the music soon flooding the room. "Tate would love you then Lex." Jax teased me, causing Tate to turn and look at the two of us.

"He's kidding, our last name is Corbin, Corbin – Cobain, they sound similar I guess." I explained as Tate smiles at me. "I'm sure there are better reasons to like you than your last name." He said as I felt my cheeks grow red.

Sure I've had guys flirt with me before, and I've dated boys too but Tate had this weird way he would look at me that would just get to me. In an instant too, he had this sadness behind his eyes. Besides when he was talking he seemed so dreary, sad, sullen, he had these dark bags beneath his eyes which I attributed to the lack of sleep most people our age experienced.

"Right Lex?" I heard Jax ask me as I had realized I was now staring at Tate who had this dumb founded look on his face, before it turned into a grin.

"Sorry what?" I asked scratching my head.

"I was telling him about Maddy, Dad and Lillian…" He arched his brow, "Really weren't listening?"

I chuckled looking between the two, "I was, and the topic is just a bore." I lied looking away from them both.

"I'm home!" I heard my dad call out; he had a meeting with a 'client' this morning. Not that Jax or myself would ever blame him from straying away from Lillian, still made no sense why they where even together. Probably for the appearance of a happy loving home, which explained by whenever we had family pictures, Jax and I just didn't look like ourselves. With wigs and dressy clothing, terrible.

"We're in Lex's room." Jax called out as Tate walked back towards the two of us sitting on the bed next to me forcing me to sit up more with my legs hanging off the side of the bed.

"Hey you two, make another friend?" He asked peering into the doorway. "Has Addy been here today? I found something at the store I thought she'd like." He said to us causing both Jax and I to look at each other confused as to why he'd do such a thing.

"More of an apology gift, wasn't right the way Madison and Lillian where speaking to her. I want her to feel welcomed here, this is my house and she can come and go as she pleases." He told us causing Tate's mouth to drop open slightly, moving my one finger up closing his mouth for him.

"Anyway, what's your friends name. I assume you're the other addition to the Home School group?" He asked him walking move into the room pulling the chair out from my desk sitting down on it.

My dad was a pretty cool guy all hobbies considered, he was a tall man, well built, even better spoken. I guess he was a decent looking guy as far as dad's go. He's where Maddy and I got our blue eyes, and where the three of us got out dark hair and dashing good looks. Our mom before she left was kind of a twat, tall lean, and blonde hair brown eyes, snotty.

Her and Lillian would have gotten along quite well. They're both gold diggers, both cheaters, both liars, and neither of them wants kids but have to deal with them. Props to Lillian for lasting the past five years, our own mother didn't make it to our third birthday. Pretty sure she left after Jax and I turned three and Maddy turned four but I could be wrong.

"Tate, I live next door." He told him as my dad nodded, "Well welcome to our home, hope the teacher I found for you guys was alright, it was kind of last minuet… he seemed pretty instant that he could do the job." He told us.

"Anyway, I'm going to go find that maid Lillian hired. Would have been nice to know who's snooping through our things." He chuckled as he stood up leaving the room.

"Your dad's a pretty cool guy… kind of jealous." Tate told us as he watched the doorway where our dad just left.

"He's ok, but then again what family isn't messed up?" Jax asked standing up, "I'm gonna go grab some food and probably go find some grass to score." He explained, "Want anything Lex?" He asked me.

"Ounce is fine, moneys in my top drawer." I told him as he nodded, "And cut your hair, you're starting to look like a monkey." I called to him as he left my room. I looked over at Tate and smiled, "So, other than being Addy's brother, tell me something interesting." I chuckled.

He took in a deep breathe before looking at the ground, "I don't think you want to know the more interesting things about me." He commented.

"Well considering I'll be seeing you everyday it'd be cool to know at least something besides who's apart of your family, and your wicked taste in music." I told him.

"Are you sure?" He asked me as I nodded, "I can tell you something first if your scared." I teased nudging him.

"Go for it." He said moving so that he was facing me on the bed, so I followed suit doing the same thing sitting cross legged on my bed.

"Well, I guess I could start by saying; I dropped out of school three years ago with my brother, we both started seeing a shrink about five years ago at the request of my dad's new wife. She thinks we spend too much time together and that it's immoral how close we are. We just have no one else to talk to about all the weird crap that goes on in our heads." I told him.

"What kind of weird crap?" He asked me.

"Well back in Washington we lived in this old house kind of like this one, rich with history that even google isn't aware of half the time. Anyway, Jax and I would—" I paused looking at him, "It's weird, you'll make fun of me… lord knows the kids at school always did, probably why we switched schools so much." I sighed to myself.

"I don't think there's anything you could say that I'd think is weird, or make fun of you for… people in glass houses should never throw stones." He told me.

"Fine, we'd always see and hear things that no one else did. We never talked to them or anything because, that's crazy. We told kids at school and they would tease us relentlessly… probably what started me with my overly dark nightmarish fantasies and Jax into his morbid conversation starters."

Tate smirked, "Dark fantasies?" He questioned.

"Well I read about a person in town that had killed a bunch of girls, so I told them I was his copy cat… got me into a lot of trouble, and Jax used to tell them he picked the girls out and that we dissected them for fun… weird crap." I told him, "Anyway you're turn." I said hoping to switch the focus from me, why that was what I shared was beyond me. Dad always told me not to bring that crap up, to attempt to seem normal regardless of what I felt.

"Well, for starters I set my mom's boyfriend on fire, then I shot and killed a group of classmates at my school, murdered the gay couple that lived here at some point, oh and I'm a ghost." He smiled at me as I sat there staring at him, trying to hold back my laughter.

"Well, you didn't need to try so hard to make me feel better… but thanks Tate." I told him as he sat there staring at me in shock. "Yep, exactly what I was doing seems to have worked." He grinned.

The record soon began to skip causing me to jump, before getting up and re setting the needle on the record causing it to play again. "You said you had another sibling, Beau… what happened to him?" I asked him.

"It's a long story, nothing really interesting to it… kind of dark." He commented.

"So, what do you want to do? Or do you have to leave?" I asked not realizing I was frowning till he had told me.

"Don't want to see me leave?" He laughed, "Up to you, we can do whatever you want." He smiled at me.

"I got an idea." I lied as he laughed, "And what's that?" He asked me.

"Well I was thinking of looking into this house, if you want to help me? Jax and I found some pretty weird things in this place it'd be cool to get a more clear image of this place… or we can watch a movie." I suggested.

"I have an idea since you seem to want to get to know me, and the idea is mutual. We could play a card game, something silly like WAR or Go Fish, who ever wins the hand has to either answer a question or say something about themselves?" He offered.

"How very retro of you." I chuckled. "Alright, stay here I'll go downstairs and grab some cards. Pick out a movie, background noise is usually a great thing." I told him as I began to go down the stairs, hearing giggles and mild chatter.

"My daughter is home with her friend, this is wrong… if they catch us…" I heard my dad say as I could hear the maid's old withered voice answer. "Just give it, you know you want to."

"I can't, while she's home. My kids already hate me for my last two affairs… having one with you would only drive them further away and my wife could be home at any minuet." I heard him say again feeling my lunch slowly start to rise in my stomach.

"Oh please, like she cares… you know you want your hands all over me." I heard her say again, I turned around with the full plan of telling Tate we had no cards, when I bumped into his chest. I hadn't even heard him come down the stairs, "Found cards on your desk." He told me as he looked past me at where the voices where coming.

"Come on, we'll watch the scariest movie possible, take your mind off that." He smiled, "Or we can talk about it?"

"Thanks Tate…" I said forcing him to link arms with me before making our way back up to my room.

* * *

**For reference if needed below are the actors I used for the likeness of my OC's;**

**Ryan Corbin — Clive Owen**  
**Lillian Corbin — Elizabeth Hurley**  
**Madison Corbin — Lyndon Smith**  
**Jaxson Corbin — Ryan Donowho**  
**Alexis Corbin — Teresa Palmer**


	3. Chapter 3

_'Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.' – Albert Einstein  
_

* * *

"I don't know what keeps me out more, that I would almost prefer my dad to be with Lillian, or the fact that he's boning some 50 year old woman on our living room couch." I sighed once Tate put on the movie which to be honest I wasn't even going to watch. My mind was far to warped to pay attention.

"I mean honestly, after the first affair we got it our mom was about to leave him and he knew it. Then he got married to Meredith and had an affair on her too… he said he just thought he would be happier with the new woman." I fell back onto my bed.

"What do you mean?" He asked me as he sat down next to me. "Well, he cheated on our mom with Meredith thinking she would make him happy, they got married she made him miserable. So he cheated on her with Lillian… now they're married." I rolled my eyes.

"Insanity." Was all I breathed out when I could hear the Warner Brother's music play off my TV, causing me to sit up out of curiosity.

I noticed Tate just sitting there nodding, "But he seems like such a nice guy."

I shrugged, "Appearances. He's a great father don't get me wrong, I'd want no other to be called dad but him, but he makes the dumbest choices when it comes to the heart."

"But it hurts you, doesn't it?" He asked me. "Yea, I mean kinda messes me up a bit, like that's my role model for relationships." I sighed, turning my attention to 'The Woman in Black' what a messed up movie choice.

"My dad loves us, so I don't think he really realizes his affairs and pointless marriages are hurting us." I explained looking over at Tate not realizing how close he was to me.

"If you love someone, you should never hurt them… ever." He commented to me.

"Some people I guess just don't know what love is." I told him as I sighed.

"So, dad's downstairs making out with that old woman." Jax's voice rang through my ears forcing me to tear my eyes away from Tates.

"Yea, I almost walked in on that earlier. If it wasn't for Tate…" I commented.

"Tate, my man. Saving this damsel in distress eh? Anyway so I met this girl while I was grabbing total snob by the way… she was basically giving me grief for not being in school." He began to explain, his high becoming more apparent. However what he was high on was questionable, weed would not make him gossip.

"Oh yea?" I questioned looking back at Tate who had a growing smirk on his lips.

"Yea, apparently she's friends with Maddy… who by the way told her that her siblings are too stupid to go to a normal school because we're drug addicts." Jax said capturing my attention away form Tate's intense gaze.

"She said what?" I felt my voice grow angry, my face heat up with rage. Sure I smoked the occasional joint here and there to relax but I was in no way an addict.

"Yea, so I now have her and Maddy convinced I sell Coke and Weed out of the basement, haha." I rolled my eyes, "Are you stupid? Maddy will tell dad."

Jax walked over to where Tate and I where sitting and sat against the wall, like he had earlier. "No she won't, because then I'll tell dad she's doing coke. I mean he knows we smoke pot, he knows I do the occasional other, things but to him. Maddy is perfect, worst she does is max a credit card shopping." He pointed out as I smirked, "You have an idea?"

I sat there staring at my brother as his eyes slowly closed and I could hear the puffs of air coming from his mouth. "Seriously?" I sighed. This was the one thing I didn't like about my brother, whenever he did drugs of any kind he was one of two things, wired with energy or asleep within two hours of doing the drug… this was the latter.

Tate sighed, "Does your sister usually, do this kind of stuff to you?"

"She's always trying to mess with us, just one of her man pointless hobbies." I commented.

"No, you… just you… Does she do it often, singling you out?" He questioned me his eyes searching mine for answers he knew I wouldn't give him.

But where did lying ever get me before with guys? It always ended with me in tears crying while Jax spent days on end trying to make me laugh, trying to stop the flood of tears. I couldn't lie to Tate not if I wanted a real friendship from him. "She hates me because I remind her of our mom, because I'm close to our dad, because I have Jax while she has no one."

Tate nodded, "I know how we can stop her and her friends from bothering any of you every again. She will start being a real sister, not just this pretend one." He told me.

I had to admit the thought of having her and her new friends not bother Jax or I whenever we are out and about did seem extremely appetizing. So much that I wasn't going to refuse the offer, "Alright, I'm game what do you have?" I asked him.

"Simple, Jax will tell your sister and her new friend to meet you guys in the basement, that he will sell to them both at a discounted price. Than, we'll scare them so bad… they won't ever bother you two again."

"That simple eh?" I questioned as I moved in my spot looking back at the screen watching what I assumed was the middle of the movie.

"Trust me, we'll do it Friday after school… when she gets home. It'll give them the weekend to fester and by Monday, she will never hurt you again. I promise." Tate commented as I smiled softly at him, I had to admit, I knew him all of maybe 6 hours an he already made me feel better than when I was around my own family.

Kind of sad if I thought about it, besides Jax I really cared less about my family, they where all self consumed in their own dooms. What did we have, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Neglect… half the time Lillian and dad where too busy fighting about money or sex to care that we were around. Which is why I wasn't surprised he was probably boning the maid. Which was also insanely creepy considering she was way older than him.

Lillian was a gold digger, who wanted all my dad's money but knew in the pre-nup she'd get nothing. Yet it wouldn't stop her from trying, I mean really how was she supposed to bag another wealthy man if she had no money or stature to get close to one?

Maddy, god all she cared about was her friends', her looks, what she owned. What drove her so far from Jax and I? I really had no clue, she only got like this when Dad and Lillian 'met' and married. I missed her, and if whatever it was Tate had planned would get her back I had to try it. As much as she pissed me off, I did miss having a sister.

"Fine, I'm game lets do it." I grinned at him, "You're not going to hurt them are you?" I asked him.

"No, _I_ won't hurt them, just scare them." He smiled at me, "Did you want to finish the movie or should we wake him up?" He asked.

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Could you help me bring him upstairs?" I asked, "Of course." Tate grinned.

We attempted to wake up Jax, which was more, or less him in zombie mode, however we managed to get him up into the attic and onto his bed. "He sleeps up here…" Tate said his voice growing quiet.

"Yea, He wanted us to use the other bedroom as a guest room incase Addy came here to sleep. It was sweet really, I think this is the creepiest attic ever." I chuckled.

"Why?" He asked me curiously. "We found this bondage suit, it was like attached to the rafters." His eyes widened with some weird hint of joy.

"What?" I asked him as we walked back to my room, "Just that the suit would creep you out, it's just clothing." He smirked.

Rolling my eyes I playfully pushed him away, "Shut up… it had like a head mask and everything, that's weird." I sighed.

* * *

I had to admit spending nearly everyday after classes with Tate, wondering around the house, the yard or watching movies I was growing really attached to him. Jax was getting upset with me however, always being passed aside by me because I wanted to hang out with Tate. Jax would constantly tell me how he was over being the third wheel hanging out with us.

I brought up the whole idea that Tate had for Maddy and her new best friend. His thoughts where the same as mine, it would be nice to get Maddy back. She had moved onto this path that made her act and seem almost just like Lillian. Jax had told Maddy that on Friday he would have some new stuff for them to buy.

However Jax had made plans, he wasn't going to be here. Apparently he promised Addy he would take her to the fair that had rolled into town. Addy had a crush on Jax. That much was obvious with how often she'd come over asking where he was. Which he was usually out with some of the stoners he'd met in town.

Lillian was 'at work' for the night and my dad was meeting with some new clients for a business merger he was helping broker. Which meant Tate and I had the entire day to plan this thing before both girls would get here after school. That was however tomorrow, today I was sitting on my floor leaning against my bed watching Sinister for the second time this week.

I sat there wondering why we would always watch horror movies, Tate's obsession with fear and what I was afraid of, what scared me. I think the only things that really scared me where things that would cause me pain or trauma.

I felt his hand slowly climb on top of my own hand softly caressing the skin on the top of my hand. When I looked over at him from the corner of my eye I noticed he was still looking directly at the screen. I looked down at my hand feeling the warmth rise up my cheeks again.

I watched as his hand moved for so he was holding mine, his thumb still rubbing my skin gently. "This doesn't bother you does it?" I heard him whisper to me softly his attention never moving away from the screen as he continued to talk to me. "I just haven't met very many girls like you. Its very refreshing, most of the girls that I draw are sad souls, broken souls." He explained to me.

"Who says I'm not broken?" I asked him.

"You aren't, I've seen broken. The family that lived here before you, had a son a bit younger than us… He was broken."

I nodded; "I suppose you're right." I told him cocking my head to the side smirking. "To answer your question, no it doesn't bother me… it's nice." I smiled leaning my head against his shoulder as we continued watching the movie together.


	4. Chapter 4

'_One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.' Jiddu Krishnamurti _

SPACE

I looked over at Tate as he had finished telling me his plan for Maddy and her friend. It sounded silly to be incredibly honest, he was going to prank the light bulb in the basement so it would flicker and he was going to make some messed up noises to screw with them.

I had to admit I couldn't see how this was going to get Maddy back, stop the high school kids to leave Jax and I alone… flicking lights, and screaming at them. Honestly didn't seem like something that was going to scare anyone, least of all girls like those two. I didn't know her friend, but I knew Maddy. She wouldn't waste her time with anyone that in her mind wasn't like her.

"So you're just going to sit on some chair and scare them? Using lights?" I asked him as he just grinned. "Yup." He said popping the 'p'.

"You're crazy. So how are we doing this we have—three hours before they get here." I told him looking down at my watch.

Once my attention was back up and facing him I noticed how he had taken the split second to move closer to me, there was something behind his eyes. He looked scared, he seemed so fearless which is why this just seemed so off to me…

"We could hang out downstairs till you hear the door open?" He suggested looking back at his feet.

"Fine but you gotta tell me more about yourself." I told him as we walked towards the door near the back of the house.

Once I had reached the bottom step I noticed a small red ball on the center of the floor being illuminated by the light from the back room. Kneeling down I slowly picked the ball up off the ground shoving it into my sweater pocket, "What was that?" I heard Tate ask me as I could feel him standing behind me.

"Just a ball I found, which is weird because we don't have a dog." I chuckled, "Addie must have left it here or something." I smiled at him moving myself further away from him.

I watched, as his face dropped slightly before he shrugged, "Yea probably, would make sense." He seemed to lie to me. I sat down on the floor watching as he walked around the room looking around as if he was remembering something that had happened here. Which was impossible if since being tutored by that weird man was the first time he'd entered the house.

"What's up?" I asked him, "Tell me about it." I asked him patting the spot on the ground next to me. He quickly took his place beside me as I smiled over at him, "What happened?" I asked.

"I used to live in a house just like this, old freaky, messed up history with a basement that spelled out serial killer's play ground." He explained chuckling nervously.

"This thing attacked me, but this woman she came to me… called it away, she always made me feel safer, and more loved than my own mother did. She always looked at me like I was such a disappointment to her." He told me as I nodded, he hadn't really opened up to me before and we'd been hanging out all week with each other.

"I'm sure she was lovely." I commented as I watched him look up and into the shadows, "She is." He said softly.

I heard the slam of the door in the distance, looking down at my watch. I hadn't expected Maddy and her friend to get home so quickly, than again I never suspected Maddy of doing cocaine either. "I'll get them, will you be ready?" I asked him as he nodded.

"Will you?" I shrugged, "I'm sure whatever you have planned isn't so scary it'll get me too." I told him as he smirked, "Are you saying nothing scares you?" He asked.

"Of course things scare me, but I don't know the unknown has always been more interesting that it has been terrifying you know?" I shrugged as I had turned around running up the stairs.

"Hey Mads." I said walking into the kitchen to see her standing there next to some girl, who I will only describe as a bitch. Because it's exactly how she looked to me… bitchy.

"Did Jax get out stuff where is it?" She demanded she had only gotten worse since we moved here. She never used to be cruel or mean, I mean snotty and prissy yes. This? Never, it had only been since we moved in here that she had been like this.

"Yea it's downstairs so Dad and the witch couldn't find it." I told her as I motioned for them to follow me. "You sister is a freak." I heard the girl mumble, "I mean you brother too but at least he's hot she has nothing." She continued to mumble, I guess she forgot I have ears.

"Dad and Mom aren't even home they'd never know we where dealing coke upstairs." Maddy snarled at me.

"Do you know when dad is supposed to come home?" I stopped dead in my tracks so that I could face her. "Well? Do you know when Satan is coming home?" I questioned her as she shook her head. "No, exactly that's why it's downstairs, do you want it or not?" I asked her as she nodded.

Walking down those stairs felt as if they where taking me a lifetime, I had to admit I was feeling a bit anxious. The entire basement was coated in darkness, with only a soft creaking noise off in the distance. I heard Maddy's friend scoff and comment on how I better not be tricking them. "In the back room over there, it's on the one counter top." I told them, there was no counter top in there. In fact dad and Lillian hadn't put anything in this basement.

If Maddy hadn't suddenly been consumed by vanity she'd have known that. However if she wasn't in her room she wasn't here, she and Lillian pretty much used this house to sleep and eat. They did any actual living somewhere else, not that I cared I loved being around Jax and Dad at least then I knew I was cared about.

"Who the hell are you?" I heard Maddy ask harshly snapping me away from my thoughts to rush towards the door now that the two girls where in the room, they where both facing Tate who was just sitting there on a rocking chair.

He had this shit-eating grin on his face as he sat there like he knew something no one else in this world knew. I had to admit though I wanted his shirt 'Normal people scare me.' Damn right they do, nothing normal about Tate, Jax or I and I loved it.

"He's Tate." I said a little more cheery than I had meant to sound.

"This is the freak you and Jax have your classes with?" Him and that gay guy, which is a shame he's really sexy." Maddy said, I could have sworn I heard someone scoff in my ear, which had caused me to turn around only to see nothing behind me.

"Don't be ignorant." I snarled at her.

"Where are the drugs." Her friend snapped at me taking my wrist roughly pulling me into the room more, which almost caused me to hit the floor if I hadn't managed to regain my balance.

"Don't put your hands on Alexis." I heard Tate say his voice cold as ice, haunting almost. The little emotion he had in his voice had actually brought a chill down my spine.

"Fine whatever, where is the coke?" She asked me.

I moved towards the wall where the light switch was like Tate had told me to I would have to stand to trigger the lights like he'd planned. I waited watching as he just rocked back and forth in the chair causing Maddy and her friend to stand they're staring at him. I knew this plan was going to backfire.

"Are either of you afraid of the dark?" He asked them his voice drenched with the toxic sound. "No we're not babies!" Her friend snapped.

"Leah let's just go, this is not worth paying less for coke." Maddy said moving towards me as I blocked the door instead. "I believe you where asked a question."

"What is your problem Lex, get out of my way now." She seethed to me as I shrugged, "Answer him." I smirked at her.

"No we're not afraid of the dark, now where is our coke Lexis." Maddy glared at me.

I looked over at Tate as he nodded his head at me signaling me to hit the switch, once I had hit it the room grew dark and this mechanical laughter filled the room, I could hear the two girls shuffling around in the room calling out to me to turn the light back on. I wanted to, but I could find no bone in my body to hit the light.

"You think its ok to be the way you are?" I heard Tate's voice flow through the room. I went to take a step backwards after hearing the laughter of small children echo through the halls.

However stepping backwards I felt myself collide into something, looking up I noticed Tate was behind me and not on the chair. How he had managed to get behind me from so far away and with no way around me baffled me. However he just kept laughing this sinister haunting laugh.

Soon the lights had begun to flicker as I watched Leah drop to the ground thrashing around kicking and screaming, her screams and cries for help worrying me as I looked around the room for Maddy only to see her move closer to her friend on the ground. "Leah?" I heard her ask as I noticed some small thing crawl out of the darkness and make its way slowly towards Leah and Maddy.

I nearly threw Maddy against the wall as it had begun to attack Leah on the ground causing her to scream even louder if that was even something that was possible. I looked back at Tate whom was now just standing in silence beside me as it watched whatever the thing was attack the two. Moving into the room I made my way towards Maddy who was on the ground rubbing her head.

"It's coming—" I heard Maddy whisper to me as I noticed the thing that had attacked Leah was making it's way towards Maddy and I, it's tiny little eyes directly on Maddy.

It slowly reached its small hand out towards Maddy's face before scratching her hard across the cheek, gaining a loud whimper from her. I looked directly at it "Go away." I told it, "Now!" I screamed only for the room to return to darkness and the thing soon vanished. I ran back towards the switch turning the light on as both girls stammered over to each other before running out of he room.

I looked over at Tate who was oddly enough back in the rocking chair in the center of the room. "What the fuck was that?" I screamed at him, "You get one of your friends to help you? We agreed we'd scare them not have someone violently attack them." I continued to rant.

"Did I scare you?" He asked me, "Jax and I played scare tricks on each other all the time growing up, make up effects and crap don't really do it for me anymore… but seriously Tate… that wasn't cool man." I shook my head, leaving the room.

I felt his hand take hold of my wrist lightly, "You're not mad at me are you?" He asked.

"Yea Tate, I'm mad at you… we had a plan and you… I don't even know what the hell that was to be honest, was it cool… hell yea but Maddy and her friend are going to kill me for that." I told him.

"Just make sure it's in the house." He said, which I wanted to say he sounded like he was kidding but he sounded extremely serious.

"Like you even got like children's laughter going on and everything like beyond messed up… way beyond…" I sighed as he smirked. "Wanna go watch a movie or something?" I asked as he nodded, "Sure that'd be cool… and Alex I'm sorry…" He said, as his voice grew quiet. "It's fine, just heads up next time will you?"


	5. Chapter 5

I sat there on the bench in front of the one window in my room, my MacBook sitting next to me shuffling through my playlist as I sat there reading a book. It had been a pretty messed up few days since the last time I'd seen Tate. After the whole whatever that was down in the basement I had a bit of a hard time being around him, I couldn't process what the hell had happened.

Not to mention Jax hadn't been around much either for me to talk to someone about it, just Moira. The maid and I felt really weird talking to that woman. She was always trying to get around my dad, always talking really messed up to him. I guess I could always wait till Monday when Jax is forced to be in the same room as me, however Tate would also be there.

I had tried to apologize to Maddy yesterday however she refused to open her bedroom door and claimed to be really sick. Which wasn't like her, sick or not Maddy was always parading around like the world was her castle and everyone around her peasants. This wasn't normal.

I felt a hand on my shoulder as I turned to see Jax standing over me with a soft grin on his lips. He moved my laptop over taking a seat beside me on the bench. Pulling out my head phones after pausing my music I sat there and looked at him, feeling the sullen mood I was in lifting slightly.  
"Hey, long time." I commented.

"Yea, sorry about that… I've been AWOL trying to keep Addy out of the house. You know give Lillian less to bitch about, I mean have you met Addy and Tate's mom? Woman is a piece of work." He commented as I nodded slowly.

"What's wrong?" He asked me suddenly.

I wasn't honestly sure of where to start. I had—had this conversation in my head to myself for the past two days and yet now that I was able to have it. I couldn't even form the words in my head let alone speak them. "Something happen?" He asked again the worry in his voice growing.

"The other day, the Maddy thing that Tate and I had planned out… something happened down there." I commented.

"Like what?" He peaked.

"Well, for starters I could hear children laughing like little boys. Than the lights they went off and I couldn't get them back on, then this thing showed it self to Maddy and her friend… Jax it was vile looking like not even human… and I know I saw what I did… there is no way I imagined it, Maddy and her friend saw the thing." I rambled out.

"I've heard the kids laughing too around the house, and sometimes right before I hear the laughter something breaks… I'm also almost positive there's something up in the attic with me…" He confessed to me.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed, "I hear chains moving around up there along the floor and this red ball is almost always on the floor in the middle of the room… Lex, I've watched this ball roll out from under my bed numerous times."

I lowered my head, "I've found a red ball in the basement and outside my door a few times. I pick it up and put it on my desk and it's gone within seconds of me turning my back to it." I told him as I watched him shudder. "Not freaky at all, do you think Madds or Dad have seen anything?" He asked me.

"I have no idea, I always see dad hitting on the old maid." I told him.

"Yea I saw that too, he kept asking me if I thought she had a nice rack and ass… dirty. Guess his tastes have changed since we've moved here." He chuckled. "I guess so."

Jax sat there staring out my window with a look of fear in his eyes, "What is it?" I asked him, "I've seen that man before he was following dad and I around yesterday." I motioned out the window for me to look.

"Creepy." I uttered staring at the horribly burned man that was standing in our garden staring up at the window that would be our Dad and Lillian's room. "Kind of weird, is dad home?" I asked.

"Yea." Jax said still staring out at the man. "Do you know what he's doing?" I asked him insistently.

"Yea, the maid." He scoffed.

"Ew seriously?" I asked as he nodded. "Gross." I remarked. "Pretty much." He chuckled, "Try getting that image out of your head." He stuck his tongue out at me.

"You are a sick man, a sick sad strange little man." I told him as I pushed him with my foot kicking him off the bench.

"Hey!" He cried out, as he couldn't contain his laughter. "So have you talked to Tate? You know since that basement thing? Maybe he saw it too, and you know heard things? There's no way it's just us."

I sighed looking over at him, "No, he's been acting weird and after the whole thing we where up here watching a movie and he just kept getting closer to me." I explained.

"He likes you." He shrugged as he sat back on the bench. "How would you know?" I snapped at him arching my brow.

"He told me? You went to the bathroom during the lesson and he asked me if it would be weird if he got closer to you…Chad told him to leave you alone, but he seems alright to me, maybe a bit intense." He smirked.

"Your setting me up with the guy we get tutored with… really?" I shook my head. "Oh come on Lex, when was the last time you crawled out of your shell and got to know someone besides me?"

Sighing I looked out the window only to notice the man wasn't outside anymore. Jax was right, I did need to start talking to new people and Tate wasn't so bad. He was a bit intense, kind of gloomy but he was a pretty cool guy. "How was hanging out with Addy at the mall on Friday?" I asked him.

"Pretty good, she's a very happy girl all things considered. I mean she loves her mom and brother unconditionally even though she seems to think she's a monster. Rough life. However I took her to a movie and lunch and she said she felt like a princess so, I think it was a good night." He smiled at me.

Jax was always a good guy like that, I just hoped he made it clear to Addy he was just her friend I think, she would if she doesn't already crush on Jax quickly. "I'm glad she enjoyed herself, and you took her home?" I asked him.

"Yea her mom Constance, she's a bit weird but she seemed pretty grateful that I had done something nice with her."

Nodding I sighed, "That's good, I guess your right about everything though. I do need to open up more I mean I can't act like this is Washington still, you being my only friend not going anywhere… smoking poppers and being drunk." I explained as he laughed.

"Those where the days though, I won't lie. However this place isn't so bad I mean once you get past how insanely creepy this house is, the fact that a woman watches me sleep and that I am almost positive there's someone in the attic with me, there is potential." He laughed again.

"A woman watches you sleep?" I questioned him.

"I guess, I mean I feel like this woman is watching me sometimes… could also just be that maid she's pretty creepy." He shrugged.

"Moira? She's alright its just really creepy that this like 60 year old woman is banging our dad…" I pretended to vomit causing him to laugh.

"I miss when Maddy would hang with us like this." I sighed, picking my laptop up and moving it to my desk before coming back to the bench. "Yea me too, she wont even respond when I knock on the door… whatever Tate set up down there, really freaked her out." He told me as I nodded.

"Guess on Monday I'll talk to him about it." I sighed, "I'm sure she'll be fine till tomorrow."

"I'm gonna go to the skate park for a bit before dinner, if you want to come with me?" He offered. "Yea sure, meet you at the front?" I said as he nodded leaving my room.

Sitting there on the bench I began to wonder what it was I could do to get her to leave her room. I felt horrible for the fact that I had scared her this much even if it was so her and her new friends would leave Jax and I alone whenever we left the house.

I knocked on her door with my skateboard in my free hand, "Maddy, I'm so sorry for what happened on Friday. I didn't think it would go that far, I didn't realize what was all going to happen. I just wanted to frighten you a bit so you guys would stop teasing us. The three of us have drifted apart so much that I'm scared; I hate us being so distant… I get that you don't want to talk to Jax or I anymore because of Friday but… don't stick yourself in your room and never come out." I said as I turned to leave.

"I saw the Devil that night, in the basement staring me in the face. It cut me… see?" I heard her say as I turned around to see she had covered her face with some sort of bandage, some of her hair was turning white. "Scared me so badly that my hair is going white… and falling out." She continued to tell me.

"I don't know what your friend is into, Alexis but keep him away from me and don't believe anything he says… he and this house are beyond saving… we should be turning to God in this hour… repent for our sins, and keep the Devil from ensnaring our souls." She explained before going back into her room.

"The fuck?" I mumbled as I heard someone move from behind me.

"Shouldn't swear like that Miss, it's terribly unladylike." I looked back to see the Maid behind me. "Guess so, is she right? Is the Devil living in our basement?" I asked her.

"You think I would know?" She mused; I just shrugged as she smiled. "Story for another time I think Miss, you should run along now. Your brother is downstairs waiting for you." She told me as I nodded slowly running down the stairs to find my brother at the door.

"Ready to go?" He asked, "Hell yes." I grinned.

SPACE

"I still can't believe her hair was white…" Jax said once we got back to the house, we had bumped into Maddy's junkie friend Leah when we had gotten to the skate park.

She looked like a boho-hobo, her hair was turning white she had a smoke in hand and she was acting incredibly skittish. She was telling people how she had seen the devil, looked him in the eyes. She sounded similar to how Maddy had sounded when she had finally come out of her room. Even if it was only for a few seconds.

"Maddy's is turning white too it's crazy. Like now I really need to talk to Tate tomorrow, I have no idea how what we saw down there scared them that much…" I explained as we entered the house walking down the hall towards the kitchen where Moira was preparing dinner for the family.

"Yea considering you're perfectly fine." He added.

"No clue, it's insane though how white her hair was…" I sighed pushing the soft pink hair back behind my ears. I looked over at Moira as she was cutting up some vegetables, she was oddly quiet normally she always had something to comment on when it came to Jax and I. I know at one point she had commented that we were the sensitive's in the family.

I guess Jax and I can be pretty sensitive, I mean I don't take to well with mean comments or drama. There have been times where I have cried myself to sleep over a comment someone made but I didn't think it was so obvious I was like that, that the maid we hired the day we moved in would notice. Kind of a piss off really.

"Moira, how long have you served the patrons of this house? You seem to know your way around really well." Jax said causing me to stop staring at her and return to looking at my hands that where on the counter.

"Oh, probably since my early youth if I had to round it out. Why do you ask Sir?" She pondered.

"Exactly that was just curious how you knew your way around. So there's this haunted homes tour that goes by our house. Why do they call in the Murder House? I mean Lex and I have noticed things that happen here but is it really possible that there are ghosts' in the house?" He continued.

"Jax come on, don't bother her with that, we can just Google it when we go upstairs later." I reminded him.

"Yea but if she's worked here a while she would know things." He smirked.

"I know the previous owners died here in a murder suicide, and the family who owned this home when it was built died in the same matter… anything else I don't really know…" She explained to him as she turned around to face the stove to continue cooking.

"Jax, stop it." I called to him again as he grinned. "You can't lie you're curious too…" He commented.

"Then ask Addy's mom she's lived next door forever." I snapped standing up; I don't know why I snapped. I looked around the room confused looking at a shocked Jax.

"Alright sorry; I was just curious Alex." He shrugged. "No… I'm sorry… I don't know why I snapped…" I said looking down at my feet, before leaving the room heading up to my room shutting and locking the door behind me.

I flopped down on my bed letting my legs hang off the end of the bed, my face buried in the bed sheets. What was going on with me, I had been having such dark thoughts. Snapping at my best friend—Jax, I had been getting angrier. Not to mention the intense distance between Maddy, Jax and I that was really only growing with each day we had been here.  
I heard a knocking on my door, "What?" I growled from the sheets.

"Want to unlock the door and tell me what's going on with you?" I heard my dad's voice through the door. "No not really." I commented.

"Alexis." I heard his low voice call; he was likely leaning against my door waiting for me to open the door. "Ok, I'm coming." I said walking towards the door unlocking it before I turned back around flopping down on the bed again.

It wasn't long before he had sat down next to my legs on the bed, "I remember when I went through teen angst. I used to fight with your uncles all the time. I mean there where times where I thought we where going to right out kill each other." He had started to tell me.

"We knew we loved each other, that part was hard wired into us, but that would never cease the fighting. I'd get bullied at school all the time and in turn I would bully my younger brothers…that doesn't mean we didn't love each other. Look Alexis, I know your having a hard time adjusting to this move, this house… we all are in our own ways." He explained as I sat up on the bed looking over at him confused by the statement.

"How?"

"Look at Madison; she is slowly realizing that she can't carry on with the attitude she's grown and she's learning to accept and enjoy new aspects of life." What he means is she'd gone crazy and thinks the devil is in our house. How have I not seen Tate today, did he think I was pissed with him? Well I kind of was for whatever happened in the basement.

"Jaxson is starting to become more social, making friends doing less drugs." He continued to tell me, Jaxson hadn't stopped doing the amount he was doing. He simply just did it some place that wasn't here. His room gave him the creeps, always saying how he's hearing chains scrape on the floor. He wasn't being social he was looking for an escape route from this house.

"Lillian is adjusting; she's opening up her own store soon in town." He said causing me to arch my brow. When was she capable of running a business? Why did I care she'd be gone more often than not… wasn't like it really mattered to be honest with myself.

"And I've been getting a large amount of clients in, not like the cases are winning cases and most of them do seem rather… horrible in the sense where I'm almost positive they are committing felonies but still… money is money." Even if it's dirty apparently.

"Look sweetheart, you'll find your way soon… you have your new friend Tate, and Addy. Things will get better, just try to calm down don't work yourself up so much." He told me with a smile. "Yea your right… thanks dad." I smiled as he pulled me into a hug, kissed my forehead and left my room closing my door behind me.

There was something wrong with this house, Jax knew it, Maddy knew it, hell I'm sure even Lillian knew it and that's why she was never here. I was almost tempted to get my dad to put me into one of the public schools just to get me out of this house. I knew he'd say no, he wouldn't admit it but I know he thinks Jax and I have something seriously wrong with us; or that we were bad kids.

Maybe I was wrong but it was always the vibe I got when I approached the subject of public or private school with him. He'll mom had said it a few times in letters to him regarding the two of us, she'd call us the gruesome twosome, that usually every set of twins has a good and evil twin yet here we where… practically the same person. I just hoped class tomorrow with Chad wasn't like Friday, hearing him complain about how Lillian and Dad decorated the place is annoying as hell. However Tate would be there and I'd be able to talk to him about everything… and maybe figure out what or why he asked my brother about dating me. I let my eyes shut and take me off into the world of sleep, I couldn't wait till I fell asleep.


	6. Farewell

**Hey guys!**

**I hate to say this because of how loyal and amazing you have all been but there has been a very tragic happening within my family and personal life. I have tried to continue all my fictions but; I am just having a seriously hard time coping with what happened...**

**I may later on come back but that's hard to tell at this point. I would like to thank you all for sticking with me this far... love you all and happy readings guys!**

**Vanessa**


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